Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has expressed concerns over the deteriorating pitch conditions at Old Trafford after their hard fought 2-1 win over Southampton on Wednesday, and he fears the messy playing surface might have a big say during their Champions League second-leg clash with Real Madrid on March 5.

The English Premier club has decided not to renovate the playing surface before the summer, which is bothering Ferguson, the Daily Mail reports.

United's pitch has been in a mess since the wet Manchester weather before Christmas and now represents something of a rutted sandpit after being dried out by a period of frost and cold weather, the paper added.

Ferguson was damning in his criticism of the pitch after his team struggled to beat Southampton in the Premier League, but it is understood that the club's ground staff have advised there is no way it can be replaced mid-season, the paper reported.

Ferguson said after the match they found the pitch difficult to play on, adding Southampton won a lot of 50-50 balls as our players looked to take a touch.

The wily Scot added they watered the pitch before the game but once it dried out in the second half and it became difficult, adding the team couldn't play their normal game on it and its really becoming a problem for them. (ANI)